The Silurian Candidate (#229)

Big Finish Main Range

I’m a bit conflicted about this story. I do love the “bad
guy” in this story, Chairman Falco. It’s pretty easy to pick out who is the
Silurian ‘slave’ from the start but it’s still a fascinating story. He actually
starts banging his head against the wall to try to blow himself up, as he’s a walking
bomb! Really one of the most interesting ‘slave’ villains, if you can even call
him that, in all of these Big Finish stories. He doesn’t really try to hide it
once he’s discovered and just goes on with what he’s doing, trying to destroy
humanity for the Silurians.

The Doctor, Mel, and Ace land on an island where the Doctor
has some business to attend to with the Silurians that are in hibernation
underground. Another team arrives while the Doctor and Ace are exploring
underground so Mel and the other team, with Dr Ruth Drexler and Gorrister,
eventually join them. But the Silurian triumvirate have departed the island so
the group all head off to see the leaders of both factions on the planet, east
and west, in order to talk about the Silurians. And it gets complicated from
there! Eventually Mel deals with the Silurians and Ace deals with the leaders
and the Doctor deals with them all.

I enjoy listening to Ace’s mistrust of the Doctor in this
one because it’s not the focus of everything but it does drive her actions. And
it actually makes sense! Sometimes it’s just too much anger from Ace and the
Doctor still in manipulation mode. He’s only partially manipulative with both
Mel and Ace around in this one but I’m sure he can get back on that horse soon
enough. Loved this one, despite the strangeness…